Wire-stretcher



F. WAYMAN.

WIRE STRETCHER. APPLICATION men APR. 11. I918. 1,304,830. Patented May 27, 1919. I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

44 9 i /0- J /J 7 H646 r a. '2 Z5 Z4 ATTO R N EY F. WAYMAN.

WIRE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11. 91s.

1,304,830. Patented May 27, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTOR N EY UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK WAYMAN, 0F PRINCETON, MISSOURI.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK W'AYMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Princeton, in the county of Mercer and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to wire 7 stretchers, having-for its primary object to generally simplify and improve the construction of devices of this character, as well as to increase their efficiency.

A further object of the inventionis to provide a wire stretching apparatus which is capable of being quickly and easily applied to a post or other support, which may be readily operated by one person, which may be used efficiently for tensioning fabric fences or separatestrands, which may be adjusted to andusedefl'ectively with fence fabrics varying in width, and which will prove powerful and positive inoperation.

A stlll further and .particular object of the invention is to provide a wire stretching apparatus equipped with, improved means for holding the wire properly tensioned while a new I grip is being obtained upon the same for further stretching opera-' tion. r

' With these objects in view, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the inventionresides in the novel formation, combination and arrangement of parts," all as will be described more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings 1 Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a conventional form of fabric fence, and illustrating the application of the wire stretching mechanism constructed'in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device illustrated in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken through the improved traveler and the fabric clamping mechanism,

Fig.4 is a similar view taken through the rock lever, v

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. .1, and illustrating the application of the holding means for the wire,

Specification of Letters Patent.

1 Patented May 27, 19 19 Applic ation filed April 11, 1918. Serial No. 227,935.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the stretching device equipped with means for stretching a single strand of wire,

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the device illustrated in Fig. 6, j v r Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the single strand holding means, I

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken upon line 99 of Fig. 1, and 7 Fig. 10 is a similar view taken on line 10-1O of Fig. 1. Y I Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 11' indicates a support-comprising an elongated bar as shown,the same being offset as at 12 at oneend. This offset portion is disposed in spaced parallel relation to the body portion 11 of the support, and is adapted toengage a post indicated at 18. The offset portion at its outer end is equipped with clamping means comprising a pair of plates 14, one arranged upon each side of said offset bar portion, and the outer ends of these clamping plates are adaptedto confine betwen them, the supportingbar 15. The clamping plates 14 may be moved into firm gripping engagement with the bar 15 by operating the wing nut 16upon the bolt extending through the portion 12 asshown. When properly positioned between the clamping members, the bar 15 .is disposed at right angles to the supbers 17, having their outer ends offset and bent to provide handles 18, whereby the screw members may be .readily rotated. The forward ends of these members are adapted to engage in the post to hold the bar firmly engaged therewith. The bar 15 has slidably mounted thereon, a sleeve 19, the said sleeve carrying the threaded shank 20 adapted. to engage with the post to equally distribute the strain to which the device must necessarily be subjected to all parts of the supporting bar.

The side faces of the supporting .barflll are provided with spaced teeth ornotches 21, the saidnotches upon the opposing faces being arranged in staggeredrelation. The

. port 11, and this bar is adapted to be posiupper and lower faces of-thesaid bar are provided with longitudinally disposed grooves or recesses 22.

A lever 23 straddles the supporting member or rack bar 11, and has pivotally supported therein a pair of pawls or dogs 24, the said dogs being connected by a contractile spring 25. The construction is such that the pawls are yieldably held engaged with the toothed surfaces of the rack bar. The outer ends of the pawls provide hand grips 26, by means of which the pawls may be disengaged from the rack bar by applying the hands thereto.

Slidably arranged upon the rack bar 11 'is a traveler indicated at 27. This traveler is connected with the lever 23 by links 28, the latter being connected at one end to the said traveler and being connected at their opposite ends to pivot pins 29 extending through the lever member and being engaged in the slot 22 in the upper and under faces of the rack bar. It will be observed that the pins 29 are disposed upon the lever intermediate the pivotal support for the pawls 24, and it is obvious, therefore, that the lever in being reciprocated back and forth will rock upon the pivot pins 29. This rocking movement applied to the lever will cause the same to move in a step by step manner along the rack bar 11, and the traveler 27 is moved along with the lever. When it is desired to move the lever and traveler in an opposite direction, the handle 26 of the pawls may be grasped and moved toward each other, thus causing the pawls to become disengaged from the teeth. Inward pressure applied to the lever will thus cause the latter and the parts associated therewith to move toward the base of the rack bar.

The traveling sleeve 27 has pivoted at one side thereon, as at 30, a plate 31. This plate is adapted to support a. wire gripping mechanism, and is provided with a channel indicated generally at 32. This channel has angularly inclined sidewalls, thus forming a dove-tail channel in outer face to receive the bar 33. This bar issoshaped as to fit snugly within the dove-tail channel and may be held against movement therein by the set screw indicated at 34. The bars 33 may be of varied length, depending upon the breadth of the fence fabric to be used with the device. The bar is provided in its outer face with a plurality of spaced outwardly extending studs 35 adapted to extend through suitable'openings in a clamp ing plate 36. The clamping. plate is coextensive with the bar. 33, and the adjacent faces of the bar and clamping plate are corrugated or ribbed longitudinally, as indicated at-37 in Fig. 3.

The studs 35 at their outer ends, are re cessed on one side as at 38, and these re? cessed portions are adapted to receive a tie pin 39 carried by an eccentric lever 40.

These eccentric levers are thus capable of being readily applied to or removed from the ends of the studs, and when moved downwardly into the position indicated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the plate 36 will be firmly bound against the bar 33. \Vhen it is desired to remove the clamping plate 36, it is but necessary to swing the eccentric levers upwardly, whereupon the tie pin 39 may be disengaged from within the recessed portion 38 and the lovers thus removed.

The clamping bar 33 is provided with reinforcing means in the form of a rod 41. This rod is bowed as shown in Fig. 1 and extends at its ends through suitable openings in the ends of the bar. The red at its medial portion is engaged in a recess 42 formed in a, rearwardly projecting lug 43 on the plate 31, and by tightening the nut 44 at one end of the said rod, it is obvious that the bar will be firmly held within the rocking plate and that the strain subjected thereto will be distributed throughout the length of the said bar.

In using the device as thus far described, the support 11 is adjusted to the post 13, and chains 45 secured to the'ends of the angularlydisposed bar 15 may be passed around the post so as to hold the same firmly secured to the post. The screw members 17 are then rotated so as to cause the ends thereof to bite into the post andto force the bar 15 outwardly. By releasing the wing nut 16, the support 11 may be moved vertically upon the bar 15, and the support 11 should be so adjusted upon the bar as to lie substantial-1y midway between the lower and upper edges of the fabricto be stretched. lVhen so positioned, the wing nut is tight ened so as to firmly bind the forward end of the support 11 to the bar 15. The sleeve 19 may then be adjusted so as to be positioned substantially midway between the lower and upper edges of the bar 15, whereupon the bolt 20 is rotated so as to cause the forward end thereof to engage the post. The pawls 24 may then be disengaged from the rack bar so that the stretching apparatus may be moved forwardly of the said bar. The fence fabric is positioned between the bar 33 and plate 36 in the manner described, and the plate is then. forced firmly into engagement with bar 33 by the application of the eccentric lever '40 to the studs 35. It will be understood, of course, that the clamping mechanism is adjusted vertically within its supporting plate so as to grip the fabric throughout the height thereof.

flexible element I 51.

traveler causes the-wire to be drawn tight, and it willbe noted that the fabric is so held by the clamping-member as to be close to the post 15. Then the fabric has been sufficiently tensioned, staples or other retaining members may be driven into the post to secure the fabric thereto.

To prevent the tension in the wire. from comprises a stake capable of being readily driven into the ground, and is connected to the free end of thebar 11 by a chain or other It will be. observed, particularly with reference to Fig. 2, that this stake is driven into theground off to one side of the bar 11, so as toprevent the saidbar from swinging in a counter-clockwise direction upolnthe post.

In instances where the movement ofthe traveler throughout the length of thebar is insufficient to properly tension the wire, an improved holding meansis provided tohold the wire whilexa new grip is being obtained thereon. This holdingmeans is illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, andconstitutes gripping means identicalwith that carried by the traveler 27. The. holdingbar! of this improved holding means is secured upon the plate indicated at 52, whilethe gripping plate 53 is secured upon the bar bythe eccentric lever indicated at 54. The block 52 is connected to the bar 11 adjacent the offset portion thereof by links 55, a pin 56 being employed to secure the said links to the bar. By securing the gripping means to the bar in this maner, it is obvious that the same is capable of moving toward or away from the post, and it will be understood that the plate 52 is pivotally connected with the bar of the gripping means in a manner similar to the connection between the plate 31 and bar 33. By rotatably arranging these bars upon their respective supporting plates, it is obvious that the gripping means may adjust itself to the regularities in the tensioning of the wire.

In using the device with the improved holding means, the fabric is tensioned by moving the traveler 27 and the gripping mechanism thereon to the outer end of the bar. Before detaching the fabric from this gripping means, the plate 53 is applied to the fabric adjacent the supporting bar for the plate and the eccentric levers 54: are applied to firmly hold the gripping means together. The clamping mechanism carried by traveler 27 may then be released from the fabric and the traveler moved forwardly upon the bar. The clamping plate 36 is then applied to the bar 33 and the gripping means or holding mechanism is released from the fabric. The lever 23 is then again operated so as to move the traveler 27 outwardly upon the bar. This operation may be continued until the fabric is tensioned. V V Should it be desired to use the stretching means for tensioningsingle strandsofwire, as when it is desired to stretch barbed wire,

sufficiently the clamping means above described are removed from their respective supporting plates, and the clamping means for a single strand are used in their stead. The clamp device to be applied to the traveler 27 comprises a plate 60 adapted to slide within the dove-tail recess in the rotatable plate 31, the

set screw 3 1 being used to hold the plate 60 against movement. An eccentric grip member 61 is arranged upon the exterior plate of the plate 60 andis adapted to firmly hold a wire strand positioned under the operative face thereof. VVhen the strand has, thus been attached to the grip member, the apparatus maybe operated by rocking the lever 23 in the manner described. 1

"When it is desired or required to obtain a fresh grip upon the single strand without slackening the wire, the device illustrated inFig. 8 is used. This device Comprises a bracket 65 having a channel 66 in one face thereof, adapted to engage over the bar 11 adjacent the offset portion therein. The walls defining the channel or recess 66 are provided with alined openings 67 "adapted to"register with an opening 68 extending downwardly through the bar 11, and a pin 69 may be inserted through the registering openings to hold the bracket 65 securely upon the support 11. The bracket is provided adjacent its outer end with an eccentric gripping member 7 O beneath which the wire strand is to be confined. The eccentric 7 0 is so arranged as to move into clamping position when the wire tends to slacken, thus holding the wire against losing its tension. The operation of the holding and gripping means for single strands is identical with that used with the devices for stretching fabric.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a wire stretching apparatus which may be readily applied to and removed from a post and which is capable of being quickly and easily adjusted so as to adapt itself to fence fabric varying in ings have reference to what may be considered the preferred, or approved form of my invention. It is to be understood that I may make such changes in construction and arrangement and combination of parts, materials, dimensions, etc-., as may prove expedient and fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a wire stretcher, a rack bar having longitudinal grooves inits opposite faces, a lever straddling said bar, pins projecting inwardly from said lever and being engaged in said slots, a traveler on said bar,'1inks connected at one end to said pins, and at their opposite ends to said traveler, and gripping means carried by said traveler.

2. In a wire stretcher, a rack bar having teeth upon its opposite sides arranged in staggered relation, the upper and lower faces of said bar being each provided with a longitudinally disposed groove, a lever straddling said rack bar, pins projecting from said lever into said grooves, pawls carried by said lever and being engaged with said teeth, a traveler on said bar, links connected at one end to said pins and at their opposite .ends to said traveler, and a wire gripping 'eler on said support, a plate .rockably mounted upon said traveler and being provided in its outer face with a dove-tail channel, a bar having its edges inclined to slidably engage saidchannel, a'set screw for holding said bar against movement,studs projecting outwardly from said bar and having recesses at their outer ends, a clamping plate having openings therein to receive said studs, and I cam levers adapted to engage over sald studs and in said recesses to hold said clamping plates engaged with said bar.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence'of two witnesses.

' FRANK WAYWAN.

iVitnesses: i

B. S. POWELL, MARTHA DUBLE;

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

